Job Opportunity at Energy 4 Impact, Field Officer
Field Officer - Productive Use
from Energy 4 Impact
1.0 Background
Energy 4 Impact is implementing a programme namely Energy Business for Development ( EBD) which is funded by the World Bank and its objective is to strengthen the capacity of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to provide access to energy to rural communities as well as to support them in productive uses of energy. The EBD Programme is implemented in 4 countries namely Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Senegal; started in September 2015 and will end in 2018. The EBD is part of the World Bank administered Trust Fund, Energy Small and Medium Enterprise (ESME).
The programme is divided into three main components namely:
a) Component 1: Advisory Services and Capacity Building Support for Energy Sector Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
b) Component 2: Productive use support activities for SMEs in newly electrified villages
c) Component 3: Programme Management
The Component 2 comprise the Projects Development Facilities (PDF) in Kenya and Tanzania which aims at supporting project developers implementing renewable energy (small hydro, wind and solar power) and mini-grid projects and promoting productive use of electricity in newly electrified villages. Energy 4 Impact provides, among others, support in the development and implementation of these projects.
Energy 4 Impact, formerly GVEP International, is a non-profit organization working to increase access to affordable and sustainable energy services and reduce poverty in developing countries.
2.0 Purpose:
The purpose of this job is to undertake field related activities for the Project Development Facility (PDF) of the EBD to support enterprises connected to electricity in newly electrified villages to improve their business or initiate new businesses.
The support seeks to address barriers that may exist to enterprises’ growth prospects, and therefore includes:
· Mobilization of the project target groups on the ground and get project buy-in by the project developer and the target community,
· Facilitate relationship between project developer and the potential clients for productive use activities
· Conduct training to entrepreneurs and mentoring support,
· Facilitate access to finance (loans, equity, grants) to enable the enterprises to acquire electrical equipment required for productive uses.
· Support enterprises to access new markets by helping to build and strengthen their positions in the value chains.
The final objective is to ensure that the selected projects achieve a set of social and economic development impact in term of sales growth/expansion, job creation, and poverty reduction.
The Field officers will report to the PDF- Coordinator for Tanzania
3.0 Responsibility:
The Field Officer is responsible for the following:
è Conducting field survey /study/assessments as required, this could be :
Site identification for mini-grids: conducting detailed surveys in accordance with site identification tools and procedures,
Energy household/enterprise survey
Market assessment in the selected villages to identify the most promising market opportunities, take stock of economic activities found in the target area and identify those which could be upgraded or developed through energy use.
Assessing the technical, economic and social impact of productive uses for specific communities and its benefit in rural electrification projects. Generate new business ideas that require electricity
è Based on assessment and study report propose a field intervention to implement appropriate productive use support activities.
Facilitate contacts and agreement between the project developer and the enterprises aiming to use electricity for productive activities (electricity availability, metering and tariffs and methods of payment, safety, load management, etc.)
è Lead on site community mobilization activities including:
Raise awareness on options for using electricity beyond basic needs such as light, phone charging and TV/radio, and the economic and social benefit of productive uses.
Organize workshops and consultations to help and encourage existing entrepreneurs to identify and start new business ideas or expand or diversify existing ones (e.g.: providing services such as use of computers, sports & films on TV, phone charging, barbershops, etc. or processing/refrigeration of locally grown agricultural crops or locally caught fish, or small scale wood or metal workshops)
Identification and selection of micro and small local businesses: Based on this needs assessment and consultations, select the most promising local entrepreneurs, with business ideas whose economic viability has been established, to receive support.
è Mentoring and supporting local entrepreneurs in the identified project areas with the aim to increase their sales by at least 30% over the implementation period
è Technical Assistance (TA): Provide technical training workshops and coaching to help entrepreneurs make informed decisions on selection and purchase of equipment, operation of the new equipment and machineries and basic maintenance. The project field officers will also provide information on warranties, maintenance servicing, and provision of spare parts, safety precautions and energy-efficient use. For both the TA and business mentoring, the field officers will first assess the knowledge and skills gaps of the target groups to ensure capacity building activities are tailored to the needs of the beneficiaries.
è Support enterprises to access finance to invest in the electrical equipment and machineries required for productive uses. We expect the field officer to propose best option to access finance (whether though loans or other means) and work in close collaboration with the Access to Finance team and PDF manager in this matter. For those enterprises that will access loans, the field officer will also be in charge of monitoring loan repayment.
è Support entrepreneurs to access market activities: Connecting entrepreneurs across the value chain, helping them to source new raw materials, or facilitate linkage with dealers operating at a regional or national level, organise visits to market places or national trade fairs, etc. Where the potential of the village or the region is deemed insufficient to accommodate for the additional production volume that resulted from the use of new machinery and electricity, the field officer will help enterprises identify routes to external markets (other town/ cities and regions). In addition, the success of technological change (new machines purchased to make use of electricity) will depend on the availability of repair services in those areas for the new equipment. The field officer will inform enterprises on where and how to access repair and maintenance services
è Monitoring and reporting on key indicators as defined by the PDF Coordinator and on the growth of local businesses supported through the program
Understanding the objectives and results chain of the project in the country
collect data on a regular basis
provide regular feedback to developers and businesses supported
feed into the M&E results system of the project including lessons learnt from implementation
è Contribute to the preparation of regular progress reports and reviews.
4.0 Skills required:
· First degree in marketing, business management, economics, commerce, entrepreneurship or related business studies from a recognized institution.
· Minimum of three years’ experience in relevant field.
· Experience in community based approaches in projects implementation
· Strong organizational skills and able to coordinate and manage a diverse array of activities and stakeholders
· Excellent communication skills in Swahili (both oral and written) and English
· Strong negotiation and mediation skills and ability to work independently
· Report writing and computer skills in word processing and spreadsheets
· Experience in conducting surveys, managing data and statistics is desirable
· Willingness to travel and work in rural areas for most of the times
How to apply:
Qualified candidates should apply via email with a detailed CV highlighting relevant experience, current Physical address and expected salary, a daytime phone contact and the names of three professional referees to recruitment@energy4impact.org under the reference “Application for the Position of Field Officer-Productive Use of Electricity” so as to reach us by latest 12 July 2017.
Energy 4 Impact is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals regardless of gender, race, religion, national origin or disability.